(06-23-2022 08:23 AM)Atlanta Wrote:  

(06-23-2022 08:18 AM)TigerFan38134 Wrote:  

(06-23-2022 08:15 AM)Atlanta Wrote:  

(06-23-2022 07:37 AM)tigerfan39 Wrote:  

(06-22-2022 11:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote:  The "they" of course were the city movers & shakers. Our university has NEVER been the focus of a stadium initiative in the city of Memphis, but it has ALWAYS been a necessary component to bring financial viability to the projects. And, unfortunately, our university has always been all too willing to play its assigned role. In the current situation, the die was cast the moment the city unilaterally signed a contract with Simmons. From that moment, the city was never going to seriously consider or support an OCS for our university. And, as usual, our university took its place as the financial means for the city to have its stadium renovated & of course to also become the guaranteed tenant to pay the way.

And BTW, I do not share the idea that a B-12 invite will serve to increase giving to our athletics programs, at least not outside of increased attendance. An OCS would have substantially increased giving apart from tickets - every study has confirmed that getting alumni back on campus 6+ times a year increases alumni giving, not renting a municipal facility off-campus.

We are getting a reno to the LB stadium. NEXT....

Are we really? Well, the 'next' would be, "how's that funds raising going..."? Crickets.... how's that process management going? Crickets.....

I have a hard time believing the people writing the big checks wouldn't have a looser pen for an OCS. It's easier to get donations when those donating, no matter the amount, believe that their money is going to a good cause. They're basically writing a check to the City to improve the CITY's facilities, not the Tigers.

That's exactly what's happening. Exceptions might be folks that also have a vested interest in the city like FedEx who strives to maintain a good relationship with the city more than supporting our university.

It's unfortunate that the inability to get funding for this will look bad when the next round of conference realignment is brought to fruition likely in a few years. The school needs to put a plan in motion to get people excited about the football program. Winning definitely helps on a short term basis, as winning for long periods has shown to be difficult at Memphis. I have never understood why you rent a facility when you're anchored to a location for likely forever. Plus a sense of ownership goes a long way in terms of upkeep and upgrades.